Xu Tianxi: You want me to leave, so I have to leave? Who do you think you are? (Happy New Year—an extra chapter!)

In response to her guard's concern, Xu Jiujiu remained composed. The ripples that had risen in her eyes vanished in an instant.

There were many extraordinary people and Hidden Sects across the Douluo Continent. Encountering a few outside the Ming Dou Great Forest was nothing unusual.

Xu Jiujiu was calm, but her guard, Zhu Wen, was far from reassured. She cast a scrutinizing gaze at the Xu Tianxi Trio, who were eating heartily, and gradually furrowed her brows.

She had been personally selected by Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei as Xu Jiujiu's guard. Born into the Hell Spirit Cat Zhu Clan, she looked like a mature and charming beauty, with somewhat thin lips. She excelled at reading people and detecting danger. Her sole purpose on this journey was to ensure Xu Jiujiu's absolute safety.

Out in this wilderness, two experts above the Soul Sage rank were accompanying a young man for a meal. That young man's status had to be far from ordinary, making him worthy of caution.

Thinking of the importance of their mission, Zhu Wen's lips moved soundlessly as she compressed her voice into a line and secretly transmitted a message to the teacher leading Star Luo Royal Academy's team.

"Old Mo, the masked youth in that corner deserves attention. I believe he is an unknown variable. If we ignore him, he may affect Your Highness's operation."

Old Mo's gaze shifted at her words. Without revealing anything, he led the students to the most spacious table and sat down, quietly calculating in his heart.

After some thought, Old Mo looked toward a lean young man among Star Luo Royal Academy's seven-member team and transmitted his voice.

"Xiao Jie, those three masked people eating in the northeast corner of the inn are unusual. Go probe that young man's true capabilities. If possible, invite him to eat with us."

"Yes, Teacher."

Chen Xiao Jie, who had been chatting with his companions, perked up upon receiving his teacher's transmission. He exchanged a few laughs with his classmates, then stood and walked straight toward the Xu Tianxi Trio.

Seeing that Chen Xiao Jie, one of the three strongest among them, had stepped forward, Zhu Wen revealed a satisfied smile.

As those people had quietly guessed earlier, this team had indeed been assembled by Star Luo Royal Academy for the Continental Soul Master Tournament two years from now. Its members were formidable, and even Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei thought highly of them.

The team already had two Soul Kings, while Chen Xiao Jie was a Quasi Soul King. They had come out this time to hunt a suitable Soul Ring for him, allowing him to advance to Soul King. Then they would complete an important team assessment: exterminating a deranged Evil Soul Master assassin group and refining their teamwork.

She had come to help Princess Jiu Jiu establish absolute authority within the team. She would record every part of Xu Jiujiu's brave command, accumulating prestige and a reputation for virtue for her.

This mission had been personally selected by Your Majesty. Nothing could go wrong!

At the table in the northeast corner.

Sensing a sharp, eagle-like gaze settle on him, the perceptive Xu Tianxi immediately raised his brows in confusion.

I've already kept such a low profile. Why is someone still coming for me?

The newcomer's Spiritual Power fluctuations were not weak, barely reaching the level of some useless Soul Kings.

Hopefully he isn't here to cause trouble. Otherwise, if you dare provoke this young master, even if you have ten lives, I'll find a chance to kill you afterward and pin it on Evil Soul Masters and soul beasts.

Chen Xiao Jie quickly approached. Xu Tianxi acted as though he had noticed nothing, using his knife and fork to pick up a piece of braised rabbit meat and elegantly place it in his mouth to chew.

This hundred-year Soft Bone Rabbit was quite well made.

Xu Tianxi did not react, and neither would Yue Lao or Zhi Sen let a Quasi Soul King affect their meal. If a conflict broke out, they would simply kill him.

Chen Xiao Jie had arrived, yet the Xu Tianxi Trio showed no reaction at all. He could not help coughing twice before taking the initiative to speak.

"Cough, cough. Friend, I've already walked right up to you. Aren't you going to greet me?"

According to his teacher, the other party's cultivation should be at the Soul Ancestor level. An expert at that level could accurately grasp every movement within dozens of square meters around him. Chen Xiao Jie had not deliberately concealed his footsteps, so the other party had certainly sensed his arrival.

But he seemed unwilling to pay Chen Xiao Jie any attention. He was more interested in dealing with his dinner.

"Sorry, I'm eating. I didn't notice you for a moment."

Xu Tianxi lowered his head to cut the meat from the hundred-year Soft Bone Rabbit. He raised his head briefly, then lowered it again, staring at his knife and fork as he spoke.

"I don't know what you want from me, but I suggest waiting until I finish eating. After that, whether you want tea and conversation or a fight and a wager, I'll do my best to oblige."

"Brother, I came to..." Chen Xiao Jie's lips moved as he prepared to say that he wanted to invite him to eat with them.

Xu Tianxi directly interrupted him and stared at him as he spoke.

"But if you prevent me from even enjoying this meal, then I can only regard you as someone here to cause trouble. In that case, my mood will probably become very bad, and the two seniors beside me won't be in a good mood either."

"You don't want to get beaten black and blue, do you? Then please wait a while. We were here first, and I don't eat slowly. I won't make you wait long."

As he spoke, Xu Tianxi put another piece of rabbit leg into his mouth and took a sip of bottled spring water, showing no intention of acknowledging Chen Xiao Jie further.

There was no need to entertain an uninvited guest. He had not invited these people to chat with him. They could go wherever they pleased.

Chen Xiao Jie's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. As the son of a Star Luo Empire Marquis and a young Genius, few people had ever dared speak to him in such a tone.

This fellow's attitude was not merely casual; it even carried a hint of contempt, as though Chen Xiao Jie did not exist in his eyes.

Even someone as talented and noble as Princess Jiu Jiu usually greeted people with a smile. Yet an unknown Genius like you was putting on airs? Wasn't that going too far?

Still, the other party had said one thing correctly: Chen Xiao Jie could not defeat his two elders. He pressed a hand to his chest, calmed himself, and issued an invitation in the most peaceful tone he could manage.

"Brother, I came this time to invite you to have a meal with my companions. We're all young people; we can get to know one another. Could you do me this favor?"

Xu Tianxi paused his knife and fork, raised his head to look at Chen Xiao Jie, and frowned.

"We don't know each other at all. What is there to gather for? You should be able to tell from how we look that we don't enjoy lively occasions. Isn't Your Excellency forcing the issue?"

Were these people from Star Luo Royal Academy blind, or what? He had already changed into inconspicuous clothing and was eating in a secluded spot. Why did they still have to come looking for him?

Could it be because he had followed the crowd and glanced at Xu Jiujiu?

But even the Star Luo Royal Family could not be this overbearing, could they? If a Princess could not be looked at, why leave home? Why become an auctioneer?

"I know you do not like it, but I have been ordered by my teacher to invite you. Therefore, Your Excellency, you must now put down the knife and fork in your hand."

Coldness seeped through Chen Xiao Jie's stiff voice. Yellow lightning flashed in his eyes as Soul Power surged around him, and he controlled the pressure of his Soul Power as it bore down on Xu Tianxi.

As one of the top three cultivators of Star Luo Royal Academy's generation, Chen Xiao Jie possessed a top-tier lightning-attribute Martial Soul. He naturally carried a measure of pride.

With his cultivation as a Quasi Soul King, unless he encountered an expert from Shrek Academy, there were very few Soul Ancestors capable of standing against him!

Enveloped by Chen Xiao Jie's Soul Power pressure, Xu Tianxi gave the two Soul Sages a look. Then he casually waved away the opposing pressure, rose to his feet, and sighed helplessly.

"So after all that, you were here to cause trouble. Then why put on an act at the beginning? Why not just say we should go outside and fight?"

Causing trouble is one thing, but he's only a Quasi Soul King. If you were a Soul King, I could at least take you seriously. What are you being arrogant about as a Quasi Soul King?

The Soul Power pressure he had released was like a child's plaything. Compared with Senior Martial Uncle's, it was simply the difference between heaven and earth.

With his Soul Power pressure broken, Chen Xiao Jie knew the other party was no pushover. As he released his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, he angrily said.

"I never wanted to fight you. You simply refuse to give me any face! I invited you again and again, yet you completely ignored my goodwill!"

Xu Tianxi looked at him in astonishment, seriously wondering whether the other man's head had been kissed by a donkey's hoof.

"You tell me to leave, and I have to leave? Who do you think you are? Aren't you taking yourself too seriously? And is your so-called goodwill worth anything? If you want to fight, then fight. My elders won't interfere. If you don't want to fight, then get lost!"

The moment those words fell, the entire inn became deathly silent.

The diners, the shopkeeper doing the accounts, and Star Luo Royal Academy's eight-member team were all stunned by Xu Tianxi's words. Even Chen Xiao Jie himself was momentarily dumbfounded.

They were Star Luo Royal Academy's Geniuses, each from either wealthy or noble backgrounds. The town beneath their feet was also a military base of the Star Luo Empire. Who would dare speak so arrogantly to these favored children of heaven?

Looking through history, this was probably an extremely rare sight.

At Star Luo Royal Academy's table, Xu Jiujiu was the first to recover. Turmoil flickered across her face.

"What is going on? Could we truly have encountered a descendant of some Hidden Sect or secluded family?"